Last Wed, Feb 24 I hosted the official Toronto Grow Great Grub book launch party. Thanks so much to everyone who made it out to help me celebrate the launch of my new book, despite bad weather warnings and the big Olympic hockey game.
Here we are at the reception table before people arrived.
Photo by Mark Disero of Garden Toronto.
As guests came in they were handed one of these cards with a special “Grow Great Grub” 1″ button that I made just for the party and a pack of heirloom vegetable seeds courtesy of Urban Harvest.
One of my goals for this party was to offer good food with some healthy options. I have low blood sugar issues and don’t like attending early evening parties that only offer sickly sweet options. For that reason I turned to Carole Ferrari of The Local Cafe. I have had her food at several local events and buy treats from her stand at the Trinity Bellwood Farmers’ Market through the summer months. Several party attendees raved about the food and I have to agree. It was incredible. And to top it off, Carole parked just outside the venue and prepped the food on this beautiful retrofitted school bus.
Here’s some of that yummy food. The organic red velvet cake had beet in it. See, even the sweets were healthy-ish! Sharing the plate are vegan thumbprints with almonds, oats, brown rice syrup, honey and fair trade jam (raspberry, blackberry, and peach).
In this photo we have local and organic rainbow carrots and cucumbers with organic black bean chipotle dip.
Unfortunately, I neglected to take a photo of the full food spread but the remaining menu was as follows:
- Galette with Butternut Squash and Caramelized Onions (SO GOOD!)
- Organic Veggie Quinoa Sushi with Beets, Cucumber, and Sesame Seeds (I didn’t get to try this one)
- Organic Veggie Salad Rolls with Brown Rice Noodles and Spicy Peanut Sauce
I could really go for some of that food right now.
Nature’s Path supplied a truckload of take home granola bars. Truly, no one went home hungry.
In a former life I taught art classes to kids and co-hosted my share of activity tables. It must be those experiences that lead me to add a relevant and fun activity table to adult parties. In my experience these compostable cups are just the right size and depth for starting tomato seedlings so I supplied a bunch along with soil, hand-stamped tags, and instructions. Yes, I stamped the cups too.
I added a few of my own faves but most seeds were provided by Urban Harvest, Cubit’s Organics and McKenzie.
McKenzie also supplied a big box of assorted vegetable seed packets — enough for everyone to take home and get their gardens started.
The launch of this book happened to coincide with the 10 year anniversary of the You Grow Girl website and I wanted to go the extra length to thank this community (you) for supporting me through the decade. Thanks to more generous donations I was able to put together 7 fantastic prize bags. Alas, I did not photograph them!! Raffle tickets were given away at the door and prizes were drawn throughout the night.
Here are the contents:
- Cotton produce shopping bags containing variations on the following: a copy of Grow Great Grub: Organic Food from Small Spaces, a Cobrahead Precision Weeder and Cultivator, gardening gloves by Womanswork, a set of seeds from Cubit’s Organic (this was so cute packed inside a canning jar with wooden plant tags), and finally, a selection of some of the garden buttons and magnets we design and sell through our online store.
- A Full Beginner Home Canning Kit from Bernardin. The kit included a kettle and rack with jars, tools, and a DVD guide.
In lieu of flowers that would have been wasteful, I placed apple mint and compact ‘Blue Boy’ rosemary plants on every table that guests were sent home with at the end of the night. These were the herbs I wrote about buying several weeks ago.
That was fun!
Sounds like a great party!!! :)
Congratulations, Gayla! Looks like the party was a success.
Your book is beautiful and I love the hosiery-cum-onion storage idea.
Ugh so sorry to have missed this, I found you in the Oprah mag just after your event. Looks like it was a fab event. Hope there will be more.
It was a lovely party and the food was truly stellar. So happy my seeds have sprouted! The book is fabulous–really beautiful. Thank you!
I so wish I could have been there! Damn this large expansive country of ours. Oh well, I was there in spirit :). Looks like everybody had a ball though, I love all the stuff you had going on!
Yes, it looks like it was an amazing party & I’m sorry to have been playing in my own gardens out here on the coast (kidding! who wants to miss a party with dirt & seeds!! ;)
I finally got my hands on a copy of your book & can’t wait for a rainy day to read it!
Congratulations on your book launch. What fabulous party planning you’ve done, wish I could have been there. Great work!
Oh Gayla I am so happy for you! I wish you a lifetime of success!
I posted a little blurb about the party on my blog – there’s even a photo of all the lovely goodies I brought home!
http://backyardfarmsto.blogspot.com/2010/03/hot-happenings-in-big-smoke.html
My tomato seeds are up and looking good!
Congrats on your launch Gayla – I have your new book and it is fabulous! Are there plans to come out to Vancouver to promote your book?
Saw you appear on Steven and Chris the other day and was one of the lucky audience members to receive your book. I haven’t been able to get my head out of it ever since.
I have just moved into an apartment and now have great plans for my balcony – thanks to you!!
Keep doing what you’re doing – we all love it!!
Wow … that does sound like an amazing party! I LOVE the coffee cup idea!
I also love your book! I’ve been reading it the past few nights and it is great – nice work! It is getting me very excited to get my seeds started (which I hope to do this week!).
Man, I wish I could’ve just jump in the car and been there. Everything looks fantastic!
But now my reason for commenting!
I actually am a new owner of your “Grow Great Grub” book, and I have to say – it’s amazing! From your first book I bought seeds for a plant I would have previously overlooked; Borage! Now after finishing GGG I really can’t wait to get them in the ground! [Flowers that look like eggplant flowers but taste like cucumber? My mind is blown.]
Thank you so much for a fantastic site, as well as great reads!
Congratulations on your new book, Gayla. I’m looking forward to reading it.
Would have liked to have met you at Seedy Saturday (on a Sunday!), but couldn’t leave my booth. (Was a little busy!)
Hope you sell a million copies!
Well, I couldn’t make the launch party, being from PA, but I did buy the book this weekend at Borders.
This is a great little book, wonderful pictures, very informative.
I loved the tips on growing veggies in containers, which I haven’t tried before, I’m strictly an in-ground kind of girl.
You’ve inspired me to try some peas in a container, maybe I can get to eat them before the darn rabbits!
Gayla,
Congratulations again! What a great party. Lovely choice with the food! I am loving your new book!
Sounds like it was a fantastic event! I’m sorry I missed it. Congratulations again, Gayla!
Wow I am so late reading this!
I took pics of my book launch goodies too, including one of the Microfarmer tshirts (love it!):
http://recontented.blogspot.com/2010/03/kick-out-style-bring-back-jam.html
Thanks Gayla for hosting a great event!